Tales of the Depetrified
by Ameftowriter
Summary: Various short drabbles/stories from various scenes from the manga and anime.
1. Am I Wrong?

**Chapter 1: Am I Wrong?**

* * *

Senku dreaded it. He doesn't even want to think of it. But it stuck there. At the back of his mind. It didn't help that Magma had to vocalize what he felt about him. Sure, he successfully hid it behind a facade of confidence. But when the musclehead blindfolded him and carried him like a sack. The feeling resurfaced, like a terrible nightmare.

When he heard Gen's devilishly sweet words, calling his name. He resigned to this fate. If Gen was on it, then there was no hope for him.

He supposed it's for the best...

The village is far better off and safer without him.

He accepted that.

He was willing, like before to jump in blindly and carelessly into death if it meant it would save others, especially those that he cares for. Even if they want to backstab him in the end.

It was for the best.

Tsukasa can have his head on a sliver platter.

He could just apologize to his dad in the afterlife.

That is until the blindfold was taken off his eyes, and the first thing he saw, was the planet Saturn.

Senku was speechless...

They gifted him not just a telescope. But a whole astronomical observatory...

He... Remembered the words he said out loud at school that day. He remembered his old, far more advanced telescope, he remembered his father, and seeing the ISS going to view.

He remembered his dream.

Senku was wrong. And he was so glad to be. Just this once.


	2. They're Only Young (Tsukasen)

AN: This particular fancomic was inspired by a fancomic by SkytopiaM on twitter. Note: It's a thread

Link: twitter dot com/SkytopiaM/status/1197578960550281216?s=20

ONE WARNING THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS PAST THE STONE WARS.

**Chapter 2: They're Only Young**

* * *

_"Senku…" the scientist turned to see that his good friend, Tsukasa came by at the lab._

_"Tsukasa! Hi!" Taiju energetically waved at him, fitting for someone like him._

_"Tsukasa's here!" Suika cheered as she noted for joy at seeing someone she idolized come by to the lab. She quickly ran to the man and gave him a big hug._

_"Heh, you got a fanfare over here!" Senku joked, "What's up?"_

_"Nothing really…" Tsukasa smiled, "I just wanted to see if my friend needed help with his schemes today?"_

_It was brief but Senku genuinely smiled back at him._

_Then it turned into his normal calculating smile, "Kukuku… you know me well, Tsukasa…"_

Senku was glad. He was so glad that everyone had left. He was very thankful for Kaseki for that. They don't need to know. Not Chrome, not Kohaku, not Suika, not even Gen...

He never got an answer back from his question. It's not like he needed one anyway. But a part of him wanted a reply. Some sort of response, a word, a grunt, anything... Just anything... From him...

He had to kill him in order to save him.

It was the best thing to do.

It was the only thing he can do.

He had to kill his friend.

He had to kill him...

It's the only way…

It was the only way…

It was the only way…

He kept telling himself that. He kept reminding himself that he had to do this. He had to… HE HAD TO!

He had to kill his friend…

He had to...

Senku was done. He was so done. He was only seventeen. A teenager, a high school brat. Why in the holy hell did it have to be this way?!

He was glad. He was so glad that he was alone. He was so glad for the waterfall's noise. He was so glad for the noisy refrigerator he made. He thought at least... At least ... Maybe just like before... He could...

He could...

Ishigami Senku let himself lie down next to the refrigerator. He let himself feel numb. He let himself stare into whatever he was staring at. He let the tears that welled up from his eyes flow through the side of his face, as that what-if scenario played like a broken record, over and over again.

Senku remained there as he reminiscenced the brief time he and Tsukasa were together.

_"Senku..." Tsukasa spoke softly even when he still fully intended on killing him. "I have a feeling that if we had met each other 3700 years ago... Before all this… Before the planet was turned into a Stone World…"_

_"... I think that you might have been my first real friend..."_

_"Maybe..."_


	3. Hugs (sengen)

AN: This chapter was inspired by a wonderful little fanart by tloraxin on twitter

Link: twitter dot com/tloraxinx/status/1187228126654300160?s=19

**Chapter 3: Hugs**

* * *

Another set of failures for the Science team once again. Chrome and Kaseki sighed in defeat for once again a failed attempt to make another invention to improve the Kingdom of Science. Senku on the other hand only gave a devilish smirk and a kick on Chrome's butt egging the two to try again tomorrow. After all, trial and error is the scientific way.

The two wouldn't give up so easily, of course. But they also agreed it was already late in the day. Rest was just as important as the scientific method.

And with that, the hard-at-work Science team has retired for the day.

Senku went back to the observatory and let himself relax and peer through the telescope. Seeing the stars up like this, especially without all of the light pollution gave the night sky many beautiful hues.

Gen comes up looking for the Scientist and hears all about the failures that had occurred for today. It was incredibly easy for the mentalist to tell that the young Chief was just as, if not even more frustrated and stressed than everyone combined. So he does what he came here for, or rather what was needed to be done.

Senku was never the type of guy to verbalize his thoughts and emotions out loud after all. Actions were much better for him.

Senku doesn't like to admit it, but... The scent of flowers on Gen, the warmth of his body, and the hug that's overflowing with love was just the right thing to melt all of his stress and troubles away. The Mentalist wrapped his arms around Senku's body and rested his face on his hair. He could have done it more tightly, but he knows not to force it on to him. So he's satisfied like this.

While some days required more than this simple means of affection, it's times like these that he's so grateful and so happy to have Gen like this on him.

He leaned to him closer and tightened his arms around Gen as a wordless response that he loves it and wants more.

Gen was happy to oblige.


	4. The Burden of a God

AN: This surprisingly not shippy fic was inspired by a fan art by ma2 on twitter.

Link: twitter dot com/maru2_maru00/status/1208675141229506560?s=19

Warning: Mild Manga Spoilers

**Chapter 4: The Burden of a God**

* * *

Senku has taken on a onsterous-may role. It was something that no one, not even the most clever and intelligent people of the Kingdom had noticed. Except for Gen, the only fool that could even come close to the scientist's wit and cunning. This fact has never escaped the mentalist's thoughts ever since he saw that carved date on the tree.

Gen knew the role that Senku gave himself. He knew both upsides and downsides to this. Senku had the charisma, smarts, and willpower after all. He was also a natural born leader. Ironic for someone who would rather spend his time doing science stuff.

And yet, even Senku forgets that he's still only a teenager, barely even called a proper adult, no matter how many years old he technically was. He was still a human being, like everyone else is, in this primitive Stone world.

He wasn't a god.

But, there are times where it does look like he is one. A genius in his own right, indomitable spirit, and an unbreakable will... Senku embodies all of those and more. The Mentalist saw that in him when he made electricity that day. He saw that in him when he agreed to his hellish plan. He saw that in him when he went toe to toe with Tsukasa.

But Senku is no God. He never was. And he never will be.

And yet, even if it was unintentional, everyone saw him as that. The villagers saw that, the rest of the Depetrified saw that, even Gen admitted to himself that he saw him as that…

Why would Senku let himself take that role?

Did he want it? No... Of course not... Is it because he had to? That he had no other choice? People were relying on him. Gen was relying on him. The whole world was relying on him. That's so much on the shoulders of a teenage brat who can barely compare his own strength to a 10 year old kid. Whose stamina was incredibly laughable, that he couldn't go to long walks without feeling winded.

It's just way too much.

It really is just way too much...

Gen wanted to lessen that load for him. Funny, as he said and even convinced himself that he really was all in it for himself. That he's so superficial of a human being that no one could even compare to that. And yet for once, as far as he could remember, he wanted to take this herculean load off Senku's shoulders and give him a break, even if it's just for a moment.

But of course Senku refused.

Gen didn't know a lot about the hard sciences that he spent years accumulating in his brain. He didn't know jack about the chemistry, the physics... He only knew about the soft sciences, the psychology, the history...

It's probably why he can see this from a mile away.

Senku refused to let Gen take any of that burden. Even after all of that talk about how Science is a team effort. That rebuilding civilization takes an insane amount of manpower… He still isolated himself from the great weight of his goal. The weight that he forced himself to drag on and carry all the way through till the end.

The world was relying on him.

His dad was relying on him…

It is as if Atlas agreed wholeheartedly to bear the world on his shoulders, instead of carrying it as a punishment

It was sometimes too painful to watch…

Scratch that, it was credibly-inay painful to watch...

It's so much that he can't bear to stand by and watch it anymore.

If Senku stubbornly refuses any help, then Gen will do the same.

He will stubbornly help him no matter what he says. No matter how much the Scientist protested, the Mentalist with push through, help him carry the unthinkable burden.

Civilization did not start by one man. It was a marvelous seed sown, grew, and developed by many. And throughout two million years of history, humans were never by themselves, they always had each other. No matter what. Gen knew that well as the one who mastered the soft sciences.

And Gen will constantly remind Senku of that for as long as he could.


End file.
